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FUT 16 Review -Xbox

There was a time when I was a kid that I was really into soccer on both my Sega Genesis and in real life. Since that time, I have forgotten all about the game and have not played the sport in any fashion aside from the occasional videogame. This being the case I sat down with EA sport’s new FUT 16, and I leave with mixed reactions, but a slightly renewed interest in the sport.

Gameplay

I didn’t have the luxury of extensively playing the last few FIFA games, but after playing through FIFA 16 it is extremely apparent that there are many improvements in features from previous installments. To begin with the control structure of this year’s game is a bit more responsive and player friendly. Gamers will quickly feel that although still a bit off from realistic that the title is leaning towards the real soccer experience. This new outlook towards creating a realistic soccer title can really help EA with its foreign sales, but rest assured that those who enjoy the arcade style will still be happy with 2016. Obviously movement is consisted with or without the ball and is performed via the left thumbstick. As for the other moves, here’s a quick rundown of the basic controls :

Setting up and being cautious is something gamers will have to do if they wish to have any success. I say the previous because this year’s computer AI is rather aggressive. While I may not be the greatest soccer gamer to ever live, after the first few hours of play I was only able to win a few low scoring games. The computer AI around their own net is stifling to say the least. I found it very hard to penetrate to the goal at quick speeds and found the best tactic to be a slow inward movement, heavily reliant on passing. This brings me to my next point that passing has become a very important tactic in this year’s title as well. Taking one guy from end to end will not lead to anything but a headache, and possibly a goal against. In FUT the computer is very good at getting in the way of shots, or quickly stealing the ball away before gamers can get a shot off. Although this is a bit tedious, I found it to be a reason to play; I cannot complain enough about easy sports titles. While I was getting stomped on my first few games I quickly developed a defense and a small enough offense to win my share.

As I said before succeeding at this year’s title is heavily reliant on strategy and passing, yet it is not completely realistic. Another added feature to this year’s title which gives a much improved control over characters is the “Off the Ball” control. By pressing the determinate button, gamers can slow down the play a bit and take control of another player who is not in possession of the ball. This is then used to create your own specific break-ins toward the net which the computer would usually stay away from. After the defense is penetrated, pressing different buttons will cause the player on the ball to pass, shoot, or lob the ball towards the breaking player. I liked this addition, but found it to be pretty tedious, and after a few attempts I primarily stuck to basic gameplay.

With that said, all the basic elements of soccer are represented in FUT 16 and the means of performing throw-ins, corner kicks, and free shots are all based on bar meters similar to many golf games. This allows for power, and at times spin or height of the ball. Control is without a doubt fixed up in this year’s title, and overall gives a good feel for the game, but some minor tweaking could still be done.

Graphics

The graphics are presented in a very clean and realistic fashion in this year’s title, and some slight improvements make it much better than previous FIFA games. While the player models are not exactly groundbreaking in realism, their movements are very fluent and lively. The animations of fighting for the ball impressed me a lot as players will lean in on each other and attempt to push one another off the ball. Player reactions to penalties are also pretty cool as some are calm, while others throw a fit. FIFA 16 also supports 480p resolution which is almost becoming the standard in Xbox gaming, but it looks good nonetheless.

Audio

It’s quite possible that FUT 16 features the best audio for any sports title to date. To begin with the grunts and realism of the play is a bit above average, but the soundtrack rocks. The game features artists from all around the world, and a lot of them at that. American gamers will recognize bands like the Dandy Warhols, while those from England will rock out to the Lost Prophets. A nice little feature is also a small flag representing where each performing artist is from. Being a very diverse sport, the diverse soundtrack adds to the feel of the world of soccer. In addition to sound effects and the soundtrack, the announcers are great. I couldn’t get over their accents and it made me feel like I was really watching a soccer game as I played. With full Dolby Digital 5.1 support, this is by far the best of EA Sport’s attempts at audio in a sports title.

The Bottom Line

Gamers around the world will all have their different opinions about which soccer title rules the industry. Many fans believe it to be Konami which owns the genre; point in case, Xbox gamers will not have the opportunity, just yet at least, to try out their title. This puts FIFA 16 up against titles like Sega Soccer Slam, and Ultimate Beach Soccer. Need I say that FUT 16 is without a doubt the best soccer title to grace the Xbox system ? Even though Xbox was screwed out of online support yet again, anyone who is a fan of soccer will enjoy this title thoroughly, and find a lot of depth worth hours of play. Those who are not a fan of the sport will still enjoy the presentation of this title, but I feel they may become a bit frustrated with the hard to penetrate defense the computer offers up. Like I said before, I leave with mixed reactions. Some things could be tweaked to add to the realism, but I wonder if moderate fans would lose interested with lack of the arcade-like feel. All in all, FIFA 16 is a great title, and only adds to the credibility of EA Sports.